Overweight and childhood obesity according to socioeconomic variables in schoolchildren of third grade in the city of Barcelona

Introduction: childhood overweight and obesity have increased progressively in the last decades, especially in countries of Southern Europe. Objective: to analyze the association of overweight and obesity childhood in the city of Barcelona according to socioeconomic variables in schoolchildren in third grade primary school. Methods: transversal study. Study population: third grade primary school students in the city of Barcelona in year 2011 (n = 3,624). Body mass index was studied as the dependent variable, and sex, age, social class, parental status, origin, ownership school, neighborhood socioeconomic status of the school and district were studied as independent. Logistic regression models were analyzed, obtaining odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: the prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood were 24.5% and 13.8%, respectively. The variables associated with obesity were: boy (OR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.02-1.57), low socioeconomic status (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.16-2.20), single-parent family (OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.03-1.77), immigrant (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.33-2.13) and living in one of the less favored districts of Barcelona. Conclusions: it is evident that social class, origin, family status and the district of residence play an important role in childhood obesity.